Information Technology Infrastructure Library or ITIL is a framework of best practices for IT service management (ITSM), which was developed by the UK government in the 1980s. Drawing on best practices from international public and private sector companies, the ITIL framework acts as a guide to provide high-quality IT services and processes, as well as the functions and capabilities that support them. This framework has undergone several revisions, and the current version is ITIL v3 2011.
Several renowned organizations have adopted ITIL practices to attain their ITSM objectives and enhance customer satisfaction. These include NASA, UK National Health Service, HSBC bank, Walmart, Sony, Toyota and Disney.
All around the world, IT service professionals have been able to improve their job performance and career prospects by earning ITIL certifications. After the entry-level ITIL Foundation, ITIL Intermediate offers two streams of study: Service Lifecycle and Service Capability. If you already have knowledge of ITIL Foundation concepts, then getting certified in the ITIL Intermediate Service Lifecycle stream is the next step to advancing your knowledge of the framework. Find out more about this stream below.
ITIL Intermediate Service Lifecycle
ITIL Intermediate Service Lifecycle is broken into five core guides that together enable organizations to bring about business transformation and get on the path to growth. The Service Lifecycle starts with identifying customer needs and the drivers of IT change, then moves on to the design of the service, its execution, and ultimately, its management and improvement.
As individual modules offered within the ITIL Intermediate Service Lifecycle certification, these steps are known as:
Service Strategy
Service Design
Service Transition
Service Operation
Continual Service Improvement
ITIL Intermediate Service Lifecycle Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for any of the Service Lifecycle module certifications, you need to satisfy the following requirements:
You need to be ITIL Foundation certified
Successful completion of an accredited course for the module from an ITIL ATO
Work experience of two years in IT is recommended
ITIL Intermediate Service Strategy (SS)
According to the ‘ITIL: The Basics White Paper’, with the ITIL Intermediate Service Strategy certification, you can understand who the IT customers are, and which service offerings are required to meet their demands. You will get to know the IT capabilities and resources needed to develop the service offerings. You will also be able to evaluate whether your organization’s cost of delivery of the IT service is consistent with the value delivered to the customer.
This credential is best suited for you, if you are involved in any of these roles:
IT Manager
Supplier Relationship Manager
IT Finance Manager
The certification course will introduce you to the following aspects of service strategy:
Introduction to service strategy
Service strategy principles
Service strategy processes
Governance
Organizing for service strategy
Technology considerations
Implementing service strategy
Challenges, critical success factors and risks
ITIL Intermediate Service Design (SD)
Having an ITIL Intermediate Service Design certification demonstrates that you can effectively design new services or modify existing ones, in order to satisfy customer requirements. You will learn how to manage technology, which is considered an integral part of this module, and processes cost-effectively through the certification training program.
This certification is best suited for you if you are involved in any of the following IT roles or areas:
Capacity Manager
Availability Manager
Business Continuity Manager
Service Portfolio Manager
Service Level Manager
After earning your ITIL Intermediate Service Design credential, you will have knowledge of the following aspects of the ITIL framework:
Introduction to service design
Service design principles
Service design processes
Service design technology-related activities
Organizing for service design
Technology considerations
Implementation and improvement of service design
Challenges, critical success factors and risks
ITIL Intermediate Service Transition (ST)
The ITIL Intermediate Service Transition certification demonstrates that you have acquired sufficient knowledge to build, test and move the design into production in order to deliver the desired value to the customer. It also displays your ability to manage the change and ensure that all users and support personnel are prepared for the production release.
This certification is ideal for you, if you are involved in any of these IT roles, or other related ones:
Configuration Manager
Change Manager
You will have knowledge of the following aspects of service transition, after certification course completion:
Introduction to service transition
Service transition principles
Service transition processes
Managing people through service transitions
Organizing for service transition
Technology considerations
Implementing and improving service transition
Challenges, critical success factors and risks
ITIL Intermediate Service Operation (SO)
With the ITIL Intermediate Service Operation certification, you will be able to deliver the service on a continual basis and monitor it as well. You will also have the capability to manage disruptions, uncover the root cause of problems, handle end-user requests, detect trends for recurring issues and manage service access.
This certification is suited for you, if your work is related to any of the following roles:
Release Manager
Security Administrator
Applications Support
IT Operations Manager
Database Administrator
Problem Manager
Service Desk and Incident Manager
Network Support
Security Manager
After successfully earning your ITIL Intermediate Service Operation certification, you will be knowledgeable in the following topics:
Introduction to service operation
Service operation principles
Service operation processes
Common service operation activities
Organizing for service operation: functions
Technology considerations
Implementation of service operation
Challenges, critical success factors and risks
ITIL Intermediate Continual Service Improvement (CSI)
The ITIL Intermediate Continual Service Improvement (CSI) certification shows that you have acquired sufficient knowledge in measuring and improving service levels, technology, efficiency and effectiveness of processes in the overall management of IT services of your organization.
The ITIL Intermediate CSI certification offers insights in the following areas:
Introduction to CSI
CSI principles
CSI process
CSI methods and techniques
Organizing for CSI
Technology considerations
Implementing CSI
Challenges, critical success factors and risks
All these ITIL Intermediate Lifecycle certifications ensure that you focus on the processes and practices required to deliver quality IT service management practices in your organization, and are equipped with the management capabilities to execute them successfully.